Giving Compass' Take:

· When used effectively, data and technology can greatly improve communities around the country. Urban Institute provides 3 steps for cities to strategically use data and technology to improve the lives of their low-income residents. 

· How will the use of data and technology encourage community and collaboration? 

· Learn how data and technology are changing the future of work and economic development.

Many local organizations help people with limited resources achieve upward mobility and stability. Some of these groups, which span the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, possess untapped data and technology skills that could make a more significant impact if they were combined and deployed strategically.

The Civic Tech and Data Collaborative—guided by the Urban Institute’s National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP), Living Cities, and Code for America—brought together local government officials, civic technologists, and community data organizations across seven cities to explore harnessing data and technology to benefit low-income residents. The collaborative demonstrated three steps cities should take to successfully leverage data and technology to improve the lives of residents with limited economic resources.

  1. Build intentional, lasting relationships across sectors.
  2. Commit to shared core principles.
  3. Draw on strengths and assets from across sectors.

Read the full article about helping low-income residents by Olivia Arena and Kathryn L.S. Pettit at Urban Institute.